GAATW E-bulletin: Issue 3, July 2024
Dear friends,
Warm greetings from GAATW International Secretariat!
As we prepare for GAATW's 30th anniversary and the International Members Congress and Conference (IMCC) in October, we are excited to develop the IMCC programme and reconnect with members and allies who will be integral to the event. To begin the celebration of our decades-long journey, we are sharing artwork to illustrate GAATW’s work on understanding labour migration and trafficking by centring women’s voices and agency, acknowledging rights-based responses, and creating spaces for intersectoral/cross-regional dialogues. The illustration was drawn by Sonaksha who also developed a creative art piece for GAATW’s 25th anniversary in 2019.
This June in Bangkok, we held the Women Workers for Change (WW4C): A Knowledge Sharing and Solidarity Forum. The forum successfully brought together representatives from partner organisations, women workers groups and advocates. Read more about it below.
GAATW E-bulletin: Issue 2, April 2024
Dear friends,
Warm greetings from GAATW International Secretariat!
As we step into the middle of the year, we present to you the second issue of our e- bulletin. The first quarter of 2024 has been a busy one. We have met with many of you to plan GAATW’s 30th anniversary and the International Members Congress and Conference (IMCC) which will be held in Bangkok on 15-18 October 2024.
Thank you for your continued engagement with the Secretariat. Keep sharing your updates with us so we can share them with other Alliance members. We hope you find the updates in this bulletin informative and relevant as we continue our collective efforts to advocate for justice and dignity for all.
GAATW E-bulletin: Issue 1, January 2024
Dear friends,
Warm greetings from GAATW International Secretariat!
As we step into 2024, the GAATW International Secretariat extends warm wishes for a year filled with progress, collaboration, and meaningful impact. Reflecting on the year gone by, we witnessed the resilience and courage of communities, most particularly migrant workers, amidst the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic uncertainties, and armed conflicts. This issue covers our activities from October till December 2023.
In 2024, our focus remains on advocating for the rights and welfare of women workers, migrants, and trafficked persons. We remain committed to furthering our research and advocacy initiatives, strengthening our collaborations, and amplifying the voices that need to be heard. The past year's events, consultations, and workshops across various regions have reinforced the power of collective action and shared learning. As we embark on this new year, we will build on these foundations with renewed strength and purpose.
Looking forward to the months ahead, we are thrilled to announce our upcoming International Members Congress in October, marking a significant milestone – the 30th anniversary of the Alliance. This congress will celebrate our collective achievements, reflect on our journey, and strategise for the future. More details on the event and how you can participate will be shared in the coming months.
GAATW E-bulletin: Issue 4, October 2023
Dear friends,
Warm greetings from GAATW International Secretariat!
We are pleased to bring you the last bulletin of the year. As we reach November 2023, it feels as if the year has passed too quickly. After two and half years of online work, like all of you, we also got busy with many in-person events. So several meetings, consultations, and workshops were held in different parts of the world. Many of you were part of those convenings. The remaining two months look busy too.
During August and September, we organised two consultations in Sri Lanka and the Philippines on women workers’ experiences of return migration and the various reintegration provisions that are available in their respective countries.
We also organised a learning visit to the UAE in August for some of our South Asian partners. They met up with migrant workers from their countries, visited their diplomatic missions, and also interacted with CSOs and representatives of the Government of Dubai.
GAATW E-bulletin: Issue 3, July 2023
Dear friends,
Warm greetings from GAATW International Secretariat!
Since our last e-bulletin, we have welcomed a new colleague to our team. Michelle Soe Moe from Thailand joined the Secretariat as Program Officer Communications in mid-June and she is responsible for implementing the communications strategy and multi-media work with various stakeholders.
We are pleased to share the latest news and activities by the GAATW-IS.
GAATW E-bulletin: Issue 2, April 2023
Dear friends,
Warm greetings from GAATW International Secretariat!
We begin this issue by welcoming three new colleagues who joined our Secretariat team early this year. Alfie Gordo from the Philippines has rejoined the Secretariat and is responsible for programme coordination and strategic communications. Vivian Cartagena from Ecuador joined as programme officer for alliance strengthening. Her work will involve a stronger engagement with members and partners, and preparatory work for GAATW’s 30th year anniversary in 2024. We also hired a new accounts and grants management officer, Wachira ‘Noon’ Chairattham Wachira ‘Noon’ Chairattham from Thailand.
At the end of March, we bid farewell to two of our dear colleagues, Borislav ‘Bobby’ Gerasimov and Milena Stateva. While Bobby will no longer be a full-time staff, he remains the editor of the Anti-Trafficking Review. GAATW-IS wishes the best for both of them!
GAATW E-bulletin: Issue 1, January 2023
Dear friends,
Warm greetings from GAATW International Secretariat!
We hope that 2023 has begun well for you.
We all know now that COVID-19, like many other viruses, is going to stay with us. It is still mutating so there is a need to be careful. Many people are still struggling with long COVID. The pandemic and the war in Ukraine have also impacted economies and costs of living have increased globally. Unemployment is now a reality for many. Educational institutions, especially public schools which cater to children from working class families, are trying to cope with the aftermath of long periods of school closures. Thankfully, some states have taken the welcome step of strengthening social protection measures. Some are continuing to provide the supports that began during the pandemic. We do hope that such measures will continue, and more states will step up their support to the people most in need.
This year, the GAATW International Secretariat will focus on completing some of the activities that were delayed due to the pandemic. Our researches on socio-economic inclusion and reintegration of women migrants and trafficked persons have been completed.
GAATW E-bulletin: Issue 3, October 2022
Dear friends,
Warm greetings from GAATW International Secretariat!
We hope this finds you well and not too busy. The opening up of international borders has made it possible to attend meetings once again and in the past several months we were busy organising several convenings for project partners. Following a consultation with our research partners from Europe and Southeast Asia in May, we held Women Workers Forums with colleagues from South and Southeast Asia in July and August. We also visited the work areas of our partners in India and Sri Lanka and travelled to Geneva with several members for meetings with UN delegations ahead of their countries’ Universal Periodic Reviews. In-person meetings have reconfirmed our feelings about the limitations of virtual interactions. However, we've also learnt that certain discussions can be held virtually and given the rising cost of fuel we must think carefully before planning each trip.
Conversations with women workers and community organisers in the two sub-regional forums strengthened our belief in grassroots organising. We also realised that there is a need to work closely with community workers and enhance their capacity to do their work better.